Jared's uncle, who always orders the least expensive item on the menu, considers himself frugal, but others regard him as stingy.

Are you a word wiz?

We hope you won't mind spending some time checking out the four words below that we've suggested as synonyms of today's Buzzword. Which one of them do you think has a meaning that's similar to "frugal"?

A. economical

B. wasteful

C. secretive

D. impolite

If you picked A, your effort was well spent. "Frugal" suggests a simple lifestyle that is lacking in luxuries (as in, "a frugal woman who seldom allows herself even small pleasures"), while "economical" indicates a wise management of resources (for example, "economical cooks use everything and waste nothing"). Another synonym, "thrifty," calls to mind a habit of saving in advance and an avoidance of wastefulness (such as, "thrifty shoppers looking for bargains"). Also close in meaning to "frugal" is "sparing," which stresses the use of restraint (as, for example, "sparing in the offering of advice").